Telegram’s Founder Reportedly Arrested in France Over Moderation Policy

Telegram’s cofounder Pavel Durov was arrested on Saturday night after at an airport several miles north of Paris, according to French news outlets BFMTV and TF1. Both outlets report that the billionaire CEO had arrived from Azerbaijan by private jet, and that he was the subject of a French search warrant over the app’s lack of moderators, and its alleged use in drug trafficking, money laundering, and the distribution of child abuse material.

So far, neither French authorities nor Durov have put out statements on the arrest. However, Telegram commented on X, formerly Twitter, that “Durov has nothing to hide,” while Russian officials reportedly condemned the detainment as an attack on free speech. X owner Elon Musk also posted about moderation and free speech following the reports.

A post on Telegram’s X account said the company “abides by EU laws” and its moderation efforts are “within industry standards.” The post continued, “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform.”

The company added that it is “awaiting a prompt resolution.”

Durov was born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) and is a naturalized citizen of France and the United Arab Emirates. Before Telegram, the tech executive cofounded VKontakte, Russia’s answer to Facebook. Durov reportedly sold his stake in VKontakte and left Russia in 2014 over state censorship demands. Telegram is currently headquartered in Dubai, and Durov said in April that the app has nearly a billion users.

Durov is 39 years old and worth an estimated $15.5 billion, according to Forbes. In July, the tech executive said he was a sperm donor, had “over 100 biological kids,” and planned to “open-source [his] DNA.”

Telegram has reportedly censored content in the past, including Hamas channels and “public calls for violence” related to the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Yet, governments frequently clash with Telegram over its stance on content moderation and privacy, as well as its use by protestors. Russia attempted to block Telegram after the firm refused to hand over encryption keys in 2018. A year later, Durov claimed China had launched cyber attacks against the service to suppress protests in Hong Kong. Cuba blocked the app in 2021 amid protests over the government’s response to Covid-19, and two years later, a Spanish court briefly blocked Telegram access following copyright complaints from local media groups.